USC Flight Operations

General Information

Reservation Form

A reservation form for each passengers or group of passengers must be completed prior to your trip. To schedule a seat or flight, you must fill out the reservation form. You will receive confirmation of your flight request via email within 48 hours from Flight Operations. A reservation form for each passenger or group of passengers must be on file with Flight Operations prior to the flight's departure. Each passenger must secure approval for their travel on the University airplane from his / her Dean or Vice President. The Dean or Vice President approving the travel must be listed in the appropriate block on the reservation form. University guests and donors must be approved by the Office of the President.

Cost of Flight

Colleges and University departments desiring use of the aircraft for travel on official University of South Carolina business are encouraged to request it. The cost of the flight will be charged to that college's individual account for the use of the aircraft. Please contact the Flight Department for additional information.

Colleges and University departments will not be charged for the cost of flights conducted for official USC business that are specifically seeking research grant or development / fundraising sources. Such flights should include a minimum of three University representatives (additional representatives are strongly preferred), each with separate major gift and / or grant-related appointments. Generally, colleges and departments will be charged for flights that do not meet these criteria.

University employees conducting official University business such as individual research, liaison or conference attendance may accompany these flights at no cost to their respective departments provided the above criteria is met by other passengers.

Passengers

The King Air 350 can carry eight (8) passengers comfortably. Normally three passengers are required to make the flight cost effective. The longer the flight, the more passengers will be required to make the flight cost effective. Flights with less than three passengers will require approval from the office of the President.

Departure Times/Location

Departure times will be coordinated with the Flight Department.
Passengers are requested to arrive at least 20 minutes prior to departure in the Lobby of the Hamilton-Owens Downtown Airport Terminal.
Flights to Washington DC area normally depart at 7:30 am. from the Hamilton-Owens Downtown Airport and arrive approximately 9:00 am.
We generally depart the Washington DC area at 4:30 pm and arrive in Columbia approximately 6:00 pm.
Schedules can be modified to meet the needs of our passengers provided we comply with flight hour and crew day
limitations set forth in the University's Flight Operations Manual.

Ground Transportation

Passengers are responsible for their ground transportation at the destination airport. Rental cars, taxies, limo service and trains are available at different airports and can usually be arranged thru the Fixed Base Operator (FBO) where the USC airplane is parked. Contact Flight Operations for the destination FBO's phone number to assist with ground transportation arrangements. Colleges and University departments travel budgets are responsible for individual ground transportation charges.

Expenses

Each passenger who expects departmental reimbursement for expenses must have a travel authorization form on file in the Controller's Office prior to departure. If no reimbursement is authorized, a memo signed by the supervisor and placed in the passenger's departmental file will be sufficient proof for insurance purposes that the trip was authorized.

Cancellations

Occasionally the withdrawal of a passenger(s) at the last minute has caused the entire flight to be canceled. Potential reasons for cancellations:

If the minimum number of passengers (normally three) required for the trip is not met, the flight may be cancelled.

If a passenger fails to show on the day of the flight, the aircrew will determine if the flight will continue. If a passenger does not cancel and fails to show, the respective department may be charged for a portion of the flight.

Weather and aircraft mechanical issues may cause a flight to be cancelled.

To cancel a flight, contact Flight Operations at 803-530-2551 / 7176.

Passengers are required to confirm their intent to travel 24 hours prior or they may be subject to cancellation. Email or phone call is the normal method of confirmation.